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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25721713">with the sun in my eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/renjunethereal/pseuds/renjunethereal'>renjunethereal</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Humor, Inspired by Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia, Not Beta Read, Romance, Slow Burn, and childish, and petty, but they can be those things together, renhyuck are stupid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:07:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25721713</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/renjunethereal/pseuds/renjunethereal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"What are you, five?" Renjun asks him, but Donghyuck just smiles coyly. Bastard. It's not even mean, or clever, or a good prank. It's just, like most things involving Donghyuck, an annoying inconvenience.</p><p>or</p><p>In which Renjun has to pair up with his mortal enemy for a week and it doesn't go as badly as he thought it would.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Director's Cut Fest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>with the sun in my eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The best way I can describe Renhyuck's dynamics in this fic is if two tsunderes had an epic rivalry, superpowers, but also the minds of twelve-year-olds. Yeah. </p><p> </p><p>Loosely inspired by Boku No Hero Academia! And written for DIrector's Cut (special thank you to the mods for being so patient with me and organizing this whole fest in general).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lee Donghyuck has to be the most irritating person on the planet.</p><p>Don’t get him wrong, Renjun doesn’t <em>hate </em>him, per say. Renjun has very few people he hates (most villains, that kid that used to put gum in his hair in third grade, people who don’t recycle properly) and though Donghyuck definitely toes the line—practically dances on it, because he’s a brat like that—Renjun wouldn’t say he hates him. <em>Strongly dislikes </em>him, more like.</p><p>Renjun strongly dislikes the way he walks around like he owns the place. He strongly dislikes the way he absolutely <em>basks </em>in any praise he’s given. He especially strongly dislikes the way he’ll jump at the chance to “humble brag” about his achievements, like how he got into U.A through recommendations, which Renjun only knows about because <em>he doesn’t fucking shut up about it.</em></p><p>Donghyuck’s seemed to take a disliking towards Renjun too, which is just fine with him—it’s not like he wanted anything to do with him in the first place. The only downside is that now Donghyuck is seemingly hellbent on making Renjun’s life harder than it needs to be, in only the most stupidest of ways.</p><p>Like now, for example.</p><p>At first glance, everything looks normal enough when Renjun walks into class. Jeno takes a break from his conversation with a pink haired boy, Jaemin, to wave at Renjun, in which Renjun waves back.</p><p>Jeno’s nice in the sense that he’s almost unbearably unlikeable, with soft smiles, an even softer voice, and the general disposition of a cheerful puppy dog, the kind that would sprain his tail from wagging it too much. Jaemin’s actually one of Donghyuck’s friends, which would usually put him on Renjun’s list of enemies in normal circumstances, but he’s actually quite nice, if not a bit spoiled. Of course, with a quirk that can basically get you whatever you want, from whoever you want, it’s hard not to.</p><p>Towards the back of the class, like usual, Jisung’s plopping his open homework book onto a boy with black cat ears and a tail, Chenle’s, desk, looking on exasperatedly, albeit amusedly, as the catboy hurriedly copies it’s contents, already making multiple promises to buy Jisung whatever snacks he wants (which, to be fair, he usually makes good of).</p><p>But there’s something so very, obviously wrong.</p><p>“Where’s my chair?” Renjun asks. Most of his classmates give him clueless, questioning looks, but Renjun notices that one person in particular isn’t even paying attention, and that he looks rather...tall today, even while sitting down.</p><p>Sure enough when Renjun gets closer, he finds what’s presumably his chair stacked under Donghyuck’s, along with his infuriatingly petty little ass.</p><p>“What are you, five?” Renjun asks him, but Donghyuck just smiles coyly. Bastard. It’s not even mean, or clever, or a good prank. It’s just, like most things involving Donghyuck, an annoying inconvenience.</p><p>(Mentally, secretly, Renjun makes a note to steal Donghyuck’s chair one of these days, because as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, he is just as, if not more petty.)</p><p>Renjun ends up making his own chair out of ice (because he sure as hell isn’t asking Donghyuck’s for his back), and pointedly ignores Donghyuck’s poor attempts at muffling his snickering.</p><p>“If you want I could put my jacket on your seat so you don’t get cold.” Jeno pipes up from the seat in front of him.</p><p>Renjun shakes his head. “It’s okay. I’m used to it.”</p><p>“Yeah, probably because you have an icy stick up your ass all the time.” Donghyuck drawls, not even trying to say it under his breath.</p><p>Renjun spins around to glare at him. “You’re just mad that I won yesterday.”</p><p>Him and Donghyuck have this...mental scoreboard, of sorts, where they gain points based on one of the many, <em>many</em> competitions they have during hero class. Yesterday was definitely, irrevocably Renjun’s win, even if he did cut a bit too close to the time limit. He completed the rescue, and he completed it better than Donghyuck did, and that was all that mattered.</p><p>“Yeah, <em>barely</em>. You took so long I thought I was going to fall asleep before you were done.” Donghyuck fires back, and Renjun’s eye twitches in annoyance.</p><p>(Amidst their bickering, Jaemin snickers.</p><p>“They fight like an old married couple.” Jeno sighs from beside him, an amused smile on his face.</p><p>“I don’t even know what the score is anymore. Is it still tied?” Jaemin asks. Behind them, Renjun’s got a death grip on Donghyuck’s collar, the two getting progressively more in each other’s faces until Jisung moves to separate them with outstretched arms. Chenle looks on excitedly, chanting “fight! Fight! Fight!” even as Jisung reprimands him for encouraging violence so early in the morning.</p><p>Jeno nods sagely. “Has been since first year.”)</p><p>“That’s enough.” Mr. Qian commands, and the room goes silent. “If you two are done with your little squabble, I’d like to start class now.”</p><p>At first glance, Mr. Qian doesn’t look all that intimidating, all tan coats and gold-rimmed glasses, but everyone knows that within him is a monster ready to get out if you step too far out of line. Of course, none of them have actually <em>seen </em>it yet, but they know it’s there.</p><p>Renjun releases Donghyuck’s collar and practically scurries back to his seat, face red with shame as he looks down at his shoes. He always hated being on the receiving end of Mr. Qian’s scolding.</p><p>“Thank you,” Mr. Qian says, before clearing his throat.</p><p>“Today we’re going to be trying something a little different.” He starts. “We have a special guest. You can come out now, Cheshire.”</p><p>“Oh thank <em>god</em>, my cheeks were starting to hurt.” A voice drawls from the back of the classroom. Jisung lets out an indignant squawk as a lithe figure in a black catsuit suddenly appears on his desk, said lithe figure greeting him with a slightly apologetic smile.</p><p>“This is Stealth Hero: Cheshire.” Mr. Qian introduces. “Like me, he’s a U.A alumni. He’ll be assisting me with teaching you for the next week or so.”</p><p>“Pleased to meet you all.” Cheshire greets with a sharp, toothy grin. He seems familiar, for some reason. Maybe it’s the slight elvish quality to his ears, the casual tilt of his chin, the general air of mischievousness around him, but he reminds Renjun of someone. He’s just not sure who.</p><p>“Ten-ge!” Chenle exclaims, tail swishing back and forth excitedly. Ah, there it is.</p><p>Cheshire, or “Ten-ge”, smiles at Chenle fondly, reaching over to scratch at Chenle’s ears. “It’s been so long, Lele. You’re so big now!” He coos.</p><p>Renjun overhears Jisung ask “your brother?” to which Chenle replies “cousins!” and it suddenly all makes sense.</p><p>Mr. Qian clears his throat then, and Cheshire, seemingly remembering that he’s supposed to be working right now, pulls his hand away, though he doesn’t really look all that sheepish.</p><p>“Why don’t you introduce the hero exercise for today, ‘Ten-ge.’” Mr. Qian says, and Renjun can’t tell if he sounds fond or annoyed. Maybe a bit of both.</p><p>“Oh, right!” Cheshire exclaims. “Today, you’ll all be fighting to the death!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>. . .</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“As I cleared up earlier, you will <em>not </em>be fighting to the death,” Mr. Qian says, side-eyeing a still snickering Cheshire beside him. “You’re just dueling each other.”</p><p>After that thankfully brief scare, Mr. Qian and Cheshire instructed them to change into their costumes and meet them out on the field.</p><p>“You might as well be, though.” Cheshire snickers. “I know how competitive some of you can get.”</p><p>His gaze drifts over Renjun and Donghyuck especially, and Renjun can’t help but blush a little. He must’ve had front row seats to his and Donghyuck’s argument earlier.</p><p>“You’ll be drawing lots to find out who your opponent is.” Cheshire explains. “As pro heroes, you’ll never know who you’ll be fighting, or how your quirk will match up against theirs. That’s why it’s important to learn how to adapt and steer the fight in your favour, no matter who you’re up against. Mr. Qian and I will be watching from the sidelines to give you some pointers after your fights.”</p><p>One by one, students come up to pull a piece of paper out from a bowl, each with a number on it. Renjun just barely finishes drawing his lot when Jeno comes up to him.</p><p>“What number did you get?” He asks, “I got seven.”</p><p>“Twenty,” Renjun replies. Chenle makes a sound vaguely resembling a squawk then, startling him.</p><p>“I got seven too!” He exclaims, cat ears perking up. “Show me a good fight, okay?”</p><p>“...uh huh,” Jeno says, not quite looking at Chenle but instead at the way his tail swishes from side to side in a fast, excited rhythm, utterly mesmerized. His hand twitches at his side, like he’s holding back the primal urge to just <em>pet</em>. Renjun snorts—Chenle’s going to wipe the floor with him.</p><p>“Awe, damn, I wanted to fight Jeno,” Jaemin pouts. “I got six.”</p><p>“I got nine. Guess I won’t be fighting any of you,” Jisung mutters. Chenle peeks over at Jisung’s paper then, and puffs out a laugh.</p><p>“You have your paper upside down, Sungie. You’re six.” Chenle says, wheezing out another laugh at Jisung’s embarrassed flush, the latter making a sound between a squawk and a squeal when Jaemin comes over to him, arms out and cooing.</p><p>Some part of Renjun is glad he isn’t facing any of his friends. Don’t get him wrong, they’ve more than proved themselves to be capable in the past two years he’s known them, but there’s really only one person he wants to fight against.</p><p>Jeno must sense this, and follows the gaze Renjun’s currently burning into a certain person’s back. “What number did you get, Donghyuck?”</p><p>Donghyuck looks up, eyes immediately meeting Renjun’s. He smirks.</p><p>“Twenty.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The matches are happening in number order, so it’ll be a while before Renjun’s fight. The rules are simple—pin or immobilize your opponent to the ground for ten counts.</p><p>He’s practically vibrating out of his seat, though not because he’s nervous. Far from it. Finally, definitively, he’ll get to prove that he’s better than Donghyuck, and that in this class, he’s the best.</p><p>He debates asking to step outside so he can practice some of his special moves, but eventually settles for just watching the matches as they go on—observing is still learning, after all.</p><p>A couple of them are pretty predictable simply because of the match up of quirks. Fire against water. A physical quirk versus one that can foresee their opponent’s moves. Close combat versus large, flashy attacks.</p><p>Some quirks just simply don’t work on others. In Jaemin and Jisung’s match, no matter what Jaemin said, now matter how much he fluttered his eyelashes, Jisung didn’t budge.</p><p>“Sorry hyung,” Jisung says, apologetic. “I don’t really see you like that.”</p><p>Jaemin pouts playfully, eyes pink and glowing. “You wound me, Sungie.” He says, just as Jisung stretches his arms out to wrap him up and pin him to the ground.</p><p>“Jaemin!” Mr. Qian admonishes after Jisung untangles Jaemin from his grasp, “stop relying on your quirk to win fights for you. You could’ve won if you learned how to throw a punch!”</p><p>Jaemin winces, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, and Renjun can’t help but wince with him, even if Mr. Qian is right.</p><p>Next is Chenle and Jeno, whose fight is almost unbelievably short. At first Jeno looked like he was doing okay, but every time he was about to attack he seemed to get distracted by the cute pink insides of Chenle’s ears, or the back-and-forth swing of Chenle’s tail. It came to a point where all Chenle had to do was lunge him and pin him to the ground, and Jeno, having no knowledge as to what to do when the literal embodiment of cuteness throws themself at you, made no struggle.</p><p>Another twenty minutes passed, until finally, it was Renjun’s turn.</p><p>Donghyuck’s already there by the time Renjun steps up to the ring, hands on his hips and his head held high.</p><p>“Alright, you guys already know the rules,” Ten says. “Pin or immobilize your opponent to the ground for ten or more counts. Other than that, anything goes—just don’t kill each other. Got it?”</p><p>Both Renjun and Donghyuck nod. Ten blows his whistle then, signifying the start of the match.</p><p>For a while, Renjun and Donghyuck do nothing but circle each other, calculating, waiting.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Donghyuck says, tone mocking. “Too scared to make the first move?”</p><p>“I could say the same to you,” Renjun replies, “you’re usually more assertive than this. Did you get cold feet? Or are you just too much of a <em>coward?</em>”</p><p>Donghyuck’s hand twitches, fingers flexing, and Renjun smirks knowingly.</p><p>It happens in a split second. Donghyuck raises his arm, a too-bright beam of orange light firing out of his palm and towards Renjun. In the same moment, Renjun raises his own arm, the slightest chill running along his skin as he conjures up an ice wall before him, the two meeting with a loud, definitive <em>boom</em>.</p><p>It was enough to stop the attack, but Renjun isn’t surprised when his ice wall emerges half melted. That’s another thing he dislikes about Donghyuck gets through Renjun’s defences way too easily. That’s just fine with him, though. He’ll just have to get creative.</p><p>After that, Donghyuck doesn’t waste time, firing blast after blast in Renjun’s direction, Renjun leaping and diving in an effort to dodge them.</p><p>“How dare you,” Donghyuck sneers. “Calling me a coward when you won’t even fight back? Are you just planning to avoid me all day?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Renjun says, smug even as he’s clearly out of breath. “Or maybe your aim is just that bad.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s brow twitches, and Renjun’s hit with the thought that maybe he riled Donghyuck up <em>too </em>much. <em>Oh well, he started it, anyways.</em></p><p>With a quick flex of his hand, a barrage of icy spikes fire out of Renjun’s palm and straight towards Donghyuck. In a normal fight, this would be enough to overwhelm his opponent, to secure him a win. But this is no normal fight, and Donghyuck is admittedly, reluctantly, far from normal.</p><p>Renjun expects it when Donghyuck meets every single piece of his ice with his own hot beam. He expects it when the attack really only results in a shit ton of steam and an only slightly out of breath Donghyuck, but that’s exactly why he charges forward, why he prepares his other hand to freeze Donghyuck’s body over and finally win him the fight—</p><p>What he doesn’t expect is for Donghyuck to grab his wrist and pin him to the ground, pushing all of his body weight on top of him. He's so close that Renjun can feel his breath, the pounding of his heartbeat, and Renjun, feeling like time just stopped, is mortified by it.</p><p>Most of it comes from the way Donghyuck's looking down at him, hair sweaty, grin shit-eating. The look in his eyes could be described as many things: triumphant, smug, and maybe, just maybe, the slightest bit...dashing?</p><p>“Better luck next time, Junnie,” Donghyuck coos, voice sickeningly fake with sweetness.</p><p>Yeah. No.</p><p>Renjun blows cold air into Donghyuck’s face, the latter jerking back enough that Renjun has enough room to give him a good knee to the stomach, before slipping out from under Donghyuck and into a fighting stance.</p><p>“Sorry,” Renjun says, voice laced with the same artificial sugaryness. “Better luck next time, Hyuckie.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s eye twinkles, maybe with determination, maybe with a challenge (maybe with that same, unexplainable dashingness that Renjun will pretend he never saw earlier), and Renjun, never one to back down, meets it with another all out attack.</p><p>“Bring it on, shortstack!” Donghyuck bellows even as a plethora of icy spikes come at him.</p><p>“You’re literally the same height as me!”</p><p>“At this rate they’ll just burn themselves out.” Mr. Qian mutters from the sidelines.</p><p>“Should we stop them?” Cheshire asks, just as Renjun narrowly dodges another one of Donghyuck’s energy beams, retaliating by freezing Donghyuck’s feet to the ground and charging at him.</p><p>“No.” Mr. Qian says definitively. Donghyuck’s broken out of his confines, and is putting out attack after attack, not letting up even as Renjun dodges every single one. “Let them. They've needed this since they came to this school.”</p><p>Cheshire hums noncommitally. Then, a slow, teasing smile grows on his face. “Hey, don’t you think they remind you of us at that age?”</p><p>With barely a blink, both Ten and Mr. Qian step off to the side as an energy beam and icy spikes shoot past the space between them, effectively smashing the fence behind them into small, jagged pieces.</p><p>“...I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mr. Qian says, pointedly ignoring Ten’s unabashed cackle.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>. . .</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Renjun walks into class the next day with a sore sigh and even sorer muscles. Him and Donghyuck ended up exchanging blows well after the bell rang, ending only when the either of them were barely able to stand, Mr. Qian forcibly holding them an arms length away from each other.</p><p>“Go home already, you look terrible.” He said.</p><p>“No...way…” Donghyuck pants. “He’s almost...down…”</p><p>“Fuck...you…” Renjun snarks back, feeling like his brain is eating itself.</p><p>After another scolding from a increasingly unimpressed Mr. Qian, they went their separate ways, but not before snapping a few more words at each other and a moment where Renjun greets Donghyuck’s retreating form with a middle finger and a stink eye.</p><p>Donghyuck walks into class then, looking about as shitty as Renjun feels, and Renjun can’t help but feel a little happy about that.</p><p>“Renjun.” Donghyuck says, head held high.</p><p>“Donghyuck.” Renjun replies. They stare at each other, a long silence between them, before a very uncomfortable looking Jisung scurries past them, breaking the moment.</p><p>They each get to their seats, and Renjun isn’t surprised by the way Donghyuck roughly brushes past him as he walks past.</p><p>What he doesn’t expect though is Donghyuck’s unexpectedly high shriek, the boy jerking back as if something pushed him.</p><p>“Hey, personal space, buddy,” Cheshire admonishes playfully from where he sits in Donghyuck’s chair.</p><p>“You’re—” Donghyuck says in a hilarious squeak, before clearing his throat, adjusting his collar with red cheeks. “You’re still here?”</p><p>“Didn’t you hear Mr. Qian? I’m going to be here for the next two weeks.” Cheshire says. “I’m helping supervise your upcoming project.”</p><p>Renjun furrows his eyebrows. Upcoming project?</p><p>“I gotta admit, I didn’t expect you to be so jumpy.” Ten coos. “That was the best reaction I’ve had in a while.”</p><p>“Ten, stop harassing the students.” Mr. Qian says as he walks in, unimpressed. Cheshire doesn’t seem all that phased as he obligingly stands up from Donghyuck’s seat, the owner of said seat somehow even redder than he was before as he sits down. Renjun can’t help but chuckle. It’s a good look on him.</p><p>Mr. Qian clears his throat, signalling the start of class. “It seems Cheshire already mentioned it, but starting tomorrow, all of our hero classes will be focused on a group project.”</p><p>Whispers sound throughout the room as to what it could be, but one look from Mr. Qian stops them in their tracks. Renjun leans in, curious himself.</p><p>“As a pro hero, you’ll have the opportunity to work with just about anyone. Some of them will become your greatest comrades. Some you may wish to never see again. Regardless of which one it’ll be, you’ll have to work with them, and you’ll have to work with them well. That’s why, starting tomorrow, you’ll be doing all of your hero training with whoever you sparred with yesterday, as partners.”</p><p>The class buzzes up again in excitement, but Renjun has stopped cold, face pale. The person they sparred with yesterday? But that would mean…</p><p>Renjun turns back to meet eyes with an equally wide-eyed Donghyuck, as if they’ve both seen a ghost.</p><p>What. What. What. <em>What</em>.</p><p><em>“What?!” </em>Renjun and Donghyuck exclaim.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Next and final chapter hopefully coming soon!</p><p>While I'm here, here's some more cohesive notes on how everyone's quirk works:</p><p>Donghyuck:<br/>Hero Name: Solar Flare<br/>Quirk: Solar Energy. can store up light in his body and shoot it out as energy, either through his hands or through his whole body. Does not work as well at night or other dimly lit settings, and is often prone to overheating.</p><p>Renjun:<br/>Hero Name: Polaris<br/>Quirk: Ice Maker. Can make ice appear out of thin air, but only as precise, complex structures.</p><p>Chenle:<br/>Hero Name: Black Cat<br/>Quirk: Cat. Can do basically anything a cat can do.</p><p>Jeno:<br/>Hero Name: Tiny Hero: Bumblebee<br/>Quirk: Size Manipulation. Can become much bigger or much smaller, though is much more comfortable with being smaller. Cannot change his size too many times or else he’ll get a migraine.</p><p>Jaemin:<br/>Hero Name: Prince<br/>Quirk: Charm. Can charm living things into doing his bidding, regardless of gender. Is only effective for up to 10 minutes, and has varying levels of effectiveness depending on the living thing.</p><p>Jisung:<br/>Hero Name: Elastic Hero: Gummy<br/>Quirk: Stretch. Can stretch his body outwards from his joints, making him able to be taller, longer, or dodge attacks more easily. Does feel hard on his joints though after a while, and will feel very sore after a certain period of time.</p><p>Kun:<br/>Hero Name: Monster Hero: Howl<br/>Quirk: Beast. can turn into a monster, but the longer he stays in that form, the less human he gets.<br/>Otherwise known as Mr. Qian</p><p>Ten:<br/>Hero Name: Cheshire<br/>Quirk: Cheshire. By smiling, he can make himself invisible, but it’s only held for as long as he holds his smile.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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